This one is short also, if I said otherwise, I lied. ha, sorry, I just didn't want to force Hermione's chapter in here. The next chapter I've already began writing and it's both pov's. Don't worry, it's the chapter that will begin the tension. The sexual kind of tension. :)

Chapter 10

Draco Malfoy looked up from his work to see his owl pecking at his window. He grinned. Already a reply?

He wasn't sure he expected a letter in the first place, especially not one so promptly. He actually had the feeling she'd be more, how should he say, hell bent against being reasonable. He figured she would do everything in her ability to avoid him.

He opened the window and his owl flew to him, handing on the perch by his writing desk. He smiled. "Hello Dagmar. Long night, old friend?"

He owl hooted loudly as Draco took the letter, and he petted it. "Same here."

Turning away and back to business at hand Draco meandered to the fireplace before looking down at the piece of paper. It was a small piece, much smaller than the one he sent, and it wasn't even in an envelope. He smiled down at it before unfolding it.

Allowing his eyes to scan the bold, slightly slanted and apparently quickly scrawled letters he couldn't stop the incessant grin that spread across his lips. "You crazy bitch."

He shook his head, turning and making back for his desk. Of all the people in the world, she was possibly the only one that could successfully make him frustrated beyond believe and still incredibly in awe of her gall. She was a handful.

Setting down at his desk, he returned to work setting the letter reply just in front of him.

In your dreams, Malfoy.

There was no reply. She had simply scribbled out a challenge and left it at that. He smiled in spite of himself as he imagined her face when he got the better of her, which he would.

Sighing, he went dutifully back to work, as much as he hated working from home.

...

With a smile Draco dressed quickly, pulled out his wand, and made way for the ministry all before his mother had woken for the morning. This made him smile, for he was never awake before his mother was. Ever, ever.

He wasn't even as put out as usual as he made his way through the crowds and waves of people who pushed their way through the wide halls of the ministry. He didn't attempt to get out of the way or find his way to the side, he simply took his time, walking leisurely through them. Some pushed and most were obscene but he still couldn't find a way to be angry.

There was simply no way. With a smirk he entered the elevator, stood amongst the throng of people, and then exited at the proper floor. This was the fun part.

He stepped off of the elevator on the floor for Department for the Regulation and control of Magical creatures, and when he did the stares and whispers that erupted were insurmountable. He smiled and nodded at each one of the girls that looked up at him with their jaws dropped. One or two winked at him, or licked their lips. He merely nodded back with a slight frown. Some people he would never understand. Such as women.

He walked straight to the desk at the end of the room. Across the door that stood behind it was a tag with the name Hermione Granger: Department head, written in big, bold block letters.

He shot the woman a smile and as she stood up horrified with her jaw dropped like a fish, he simply walked past her to the door. "You can't..." She began, sounding terrified as he simply barged in, she ran in behind him, attempting to push him out of the way, but he wasn't listening. That is simply because the only thing he could see was Hermione Grangers face. And what a hilarious expression it was.

She was glaring at him, with her eyes wide, her especially red lips today-yes he did note the presence of makeup- parted only slightly, her cheeks turning from pale to pink before his eyes. She stood, bracing both of her hands on her big square desk and staring at him with such force, he was sure it was intent to kill behind those brown orbs.

As they all stood at stand still for more than a minute, Draco couldn't help but laugh. She was insane.

"Morning Granger." He said with a smirk.

She didn't answer him for a moment, but when she did she didn't sound polite at all. "What are you doing here?" She snapped, glaring at him.

He took a step further and as he did he saw an exchange between Hermione and her secretary before her secretary quietly and uncertainly showed herself out of the room.

"What in the hell made you think you could come here?" She asked, and for once he saw a slip in her control as she rubbed her temples. "Now the rumors are going to be ignited!"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "It could have been easily avoided."

She gaped at him. "By coming to your house? Alone?"

Once again he smirked. "Yes. But you're the one who decided to get all high and mighty on me Granger."

"I don't think you understand what you've done by coming in here."

With another nonchalant smirk he gazed steadily at her. "I offered you a quiet resolve, and you pushed it in my face, challenged me even. This is you're doing."

"I hardly see how this will make anything better. Now we're going to have to explain two days seen together in a row."

He watched her sit down and lean back in her chair, finally calming down. "That's correct."

"Of course you're fine with this." She breathed. "You're not the one their going to make out to be a homewrecker."

He laughed. "You can't possibly be a homewrecker. You see, you fail to realize that I'm not married."

She rolled her eyes. "Did you read today's paper?" She tossed it at him and as he read it she continued to speak, sounding drained. "You won't be effected negatively. As far as their concerned all you're doing is being a man, an eligible man at that. But me, they literally said the phrase 'has her claws' in there. They're making me the bad guy."

He snorted very undignified. "You're a war hero Granger. I'm an ex-death eater. It doesn't get anymore good guy bad guy than that. In case you're wondering, you're the good guy. Don't you worry about your pristine image."

She gaped at him for a moment before jerking her face in the opposite direction. "Whatever you say Malfoy. It doesn't look that way as of now."

"Sure, whatever you say." He rolled his eyes. "You sure are melodramatic."

"I am not." She said indignantly.

He smirked. "Yes, in fact, you are. You overreact about everything. The world doesn't revolve around you Granger."

"That's really funny coming from you." She made a childish face at him before sticking her tongue out at him.

He could only smile and shake his head. "At the very least Granger, meet me somewhere for lunch."

Her eyes bore into him, making him feel queasy before she answered. "Fine. But only to talk about this. What we're going to do."

He shrugged. "When and where?"

She answered by standing and walking around her desk and stopping by where he was standing. He looked up at her and stood himself, going from facing her hip, to looking down on her. She blushed as she looked up at him and, in spite of himself, he smiled at her. She seemed to tint an even brighter shade of red as he continued to stare down at her.

"Come on now Granger." He spoke after a moment. She jumped to it, immediately agreeing.

"Oh, yeah, where do you want to go?" She asked awkwardly and he noticed that she took a large step backwards, putting a distance between them. This made him feel sour for some reason.

He took the time to gaze at her before answering, determined to make her uncomfortable after the way she was making him feel. Maybe because he didn't understand the feelings, or maybe because he was frightened by the fact that he liked most of them, he wasn't certain. It seemed to work as she twisted her eyes away from his for a moment, breaking eye contact for a moment before realizing that it was giving in and gazing back. "Let's decide on the way?" He offered.

She nodded and walked towards him, stopping rather close. Closer than he really wanted her. He felt his heart rate speed up.

He ignored it. Also ignoring the rush of heat that coated his face as he remembered that her being this close shouldn't be that bad, after all, he'd kissed her before, hugged her, of only briefly and non-intimately.

He allowed her to lead, going to the door and exiting, following her and firmly telling his lecherous mind not to glance down at her backside as she walked slightly in front of him.

He learned that moment, that he liked the way she walked, possibly more than anyone he'd every seen. It was an assertive walk, with just the right strides, and for someone he'd never known to be excessively feminine, she certainly handled those heels very well.